Squeaking shoes, shuffling feet and the reverence of tourists
The final sound from the brief Florence series. One of the original ideas that inspired Cities and Memory was the concept that you could create sounds of places that don’t exist or that couldn’t possibly exist, by layering different field recordings together to create an imaginary place – for instance, blending together sounds of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul with an English countryside scene to create an impossible place. That’s what inspired this recording – the first is the standard, reverential field recording from the Duomo, mostly noticeable for how clearly you can hear the squeaking of dozens of pairs of trainers on the floor. Over the top I’ve layered recordings I’ve done of crickets, flies and even some quiet ducks, to transpose that scene into the vastness of the Duomo. Have a listen.
Field recording:
Remixed version: